New beginnings
by sliverpen
Summary: Celeste grew up on a farm, working hard to help her mother. A simple purple flower changed her world forever as she got cast into the fairy realm, having to use her wits to keep alive in its deceptive forests and the fairy courts.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This story is written in a slightly different style than my other stories. I found my inspiration from a book I read on Scottish

Fairy tales. I am also glad to say that I've written out the basic outline for the whole story, so hopefully no getting stuck with writer's block! I promise I will get

around to finishing all my stories, Blood or fangs, Everett, and Everness.

Hope you enjoy it!

_Sliverpen_

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Chapter 1

"Run, Celeste, run!" a man's voice yelled at her.

She did as she was told, gathering the skirts of her dress. She quickly reached the fringe of the woods next to the road. She looked back, seeing the carriage she had been in just a few moments ago burning, the flames lighting up the night sky. The wood crackling and collapsing. Men were yelling and fighting. Some lay slain.

Just then one of them turned and looked at her. He had long black hair from what she could see, and a face that could be handsome if it was not for the hateful expression on it. He had a sword with him, the blade drawn and covered in what she knew was blood. She shivered and realized with horror that he was coming after her!

She ran into the wood, pulling her skirts free as fingers of hungry trees grabbed at her. She stumbled, but got up quickly, hearing the footfalls coming nearer and a man's voice cursing the wretched trees. Tears streaked her face as she blindly ran further and further into the dark woods, where few travelers ever dared go into, and where many hungry things waited. A sliproot tripped her, so that she tumbled down a slope. When she finally sat up, she stared right into someone's waist. She let out a scream, as she had thought this was her pursuer.

"Keep your voice down!" scolded an old, plump lady. She was dressed in plain clothes, colored gray and green. Her hair was grey and wild. Just then her pursuer came down the slope, sword in hand.

"Not so fast!" bellowed the lady. The man was taken aback by the strength in her voice. The air suddenly felt much colder as she continued to speak.

"_As you find your way through the human ways, you shall not remember where you came from. Insignificant you will be, until you learn life's secret. Then you shall be free."_

Celeste woke up, still breathing heavily and her heart pounding. "_What on earth did all this mean?"_ she wondered. She's been having the same dreadful dream over an over for many months now. It terrified her. "_Who was the man that wanted to kill me?"_ Every time she dreamt it was in more detail than the time before. "_It must be because I'm so worried about Ma,"_ she decided. "_She's been working very hard lately so we could have enough to get by_."

Winter was almost upon them, and they've lost two chickens and a pig. The pig would have been sold at the market the coming week. Celeste got up, washed her face and dressed. She passed her mom's room as she went downstairs. She was still sleeping. Looking at her, she could see that there was sadness on her face along with the look of someone who is just utterly tired.

"_Oh, had da still been with us_," Celeste murmured after softly closing the door. Her father had died when she was still but a babe, so her mother had told her. He went out in into the fields one day on horseback, and later the horse returned without rider. Neighboring farmers helped to look for him. They found him, saying he had a heart attack.

Her mom had always looked after her as well as she could. Celeste learnt how to cook, sew, and clean when she was still very young. They used to have a man who helped around the yard and looked after the horses, but later they had to let him go. The horses too. They were sold at the market so that they could have enough to get them through the winter that year, which had been a very hard winter, and to buy food for the remaining animals. They didn't have much left now, but usually had something to sell at the market.

Celeste took a piece of bread with a tiny bit of fig jam. She had been lucky to one day discover a fig tree full of ripe figs. She made jam and they ate them fresh too. It would be several months before the tree would bear any more fruit. She fed the chickens, the two small pigs, Daisy the cow, and Sheila, their cat. Thereafter she went to their vegetable garden, which wasn't in good shape with winter approaching and the rain being reluctant to come down from the clouds. To her amazement there was something in the middle of it. She went closer, and discovered it was a big fat pumpkin sticking out amongst the other small and shriveled ones. This definitely hadn't been here the day before. She felt it and looked to make sure it didn't have any holes made by insects.

"_This will be perfect to sell at the market!" _Celeste thought happily. She carefully severed the stem and took the pumpkin into the kitchen. It was very heavy. Her mother was busy putting eggs and milk into a basket to sell at the market the next day.

"The good fairies must be looking after us!" Celeste's mom cried out joyfully.

Celeste laughed with her, for there was no way to explain how this wonder happened.

Later Celeste went to gather mushrooms, as she always did the day before going to the market. Mushrooms always got a good price. She'd have to walk quite far, so she took some bread with jam with her. Eventually she found some of the safe ones near a little brook. She'd almost collected all of them when she heard a soft voice. Not far from her, sitting on top of a large rock sat a peculiar looking old lady. She had a big purple floppy hat on her head, and her dress came only up to her knee. She was also wearing black boots that covered the rest of her legs. Celeste was usually wary of strangers, but the woman had a kindly face. She asked her if Celeste could spare her something to eat. Feeling sorry for her, she gave her what she had.

"It is good to see time has not changed your kind nature, child," she said, " I have a small token of thanks to give you."

She gave Celeste a small purple flower.

"Put it under your pillow tonight, and no dream should wake you with fright."

Celeste was surprised at these words. Did she know of her dreams? She thanked her and headed home after finding a few more mushrooms.

That night she did as the lady said, hoping to escape the dreadful dream she'd been having. It took a while before she finally fell asleep, and indeed it was dreamless…

The next morning she stretched out, yawning. Wondering why her mother hadn't woken her yet to go to the market. Then suddenly realized she was not in her bed. She sat up alarmed. _"Where am I?"_she thought, seeing only gloomy forest around her…

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I will get started on "fleshing out" the next chapter soon. Reviews are welcome! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hi there! Here's the next chappie. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 2

Celeste pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming after all. She was sitting under a tree. The floor was covered with damp leaves, as if it had been raining through the night. There was enough light for her to see around her. "_Is it night or day?_" she wondered. There were so many trees and bushes, that she could barely see the sky.

She pushed aside some tall grasses and got a terrible fright as the grass suddenly hissed at her and moved away. The grasses grew on the back of a small animal, almost looking like a porcupine, just flatter, much uglier and green. It glared at her with dark beady little eyes, and hissed again, revealing small sharp teeth underneath a long snout, before walking away. As she walked on, hoping to find something she could recognize or even someone she could ask where she was, many plants moved or shivered as she passed. Bright orange flowers as big as her hand, looking very much like lilies, quickly snapped shut and pulled into the bush they grew on. Vines retreated so she wouldn't step on it. Somehow the whole forest was alive… The next moment she tripped and fell. She sat holding her hurting knee, when she spotted the culprit. Sliproot… somehow she just knew its name, and also recognized it from her dream. This plant was different than the vines that grew here, instead of pulling away, it would leap so that it trips you.

Dusting off the leaves and dirt that stuck to her clothes, a small furry animal appeared in the clearing she was facing. It sniffed the air, then slowly walked further in her direction. It looked like a large squirrel, the size of a small dog, but its fur was dark blue. The hair on its head stood up in two tufts making it look like it has horns. And its eyes were huge and bright yellow, making it look less friendly than the squirrels Celeste knew. It kept its eyes on her, curious and careful, bushy tail twitching. Celeste also noticed that it had long claws, which made it a bit difficult for it to walk on the forest floor. She decided to go in a different direction, and set off walking slowly at first to make sure she doesn't startle the creature or perhaps frighten it into attacking her, then picked up her pace as soon as she thought it was safe to do so. She looked over her shoulder every now and then to see if it was following her. It was… It followed slowly, keeping distance between them. She picked up a stone and carried it in her hand, and walked as briskly as she could, but the distance between them stayed the same. At least it hasn't hissed at her or showed its teeth… just then it made a terrible sound, sharp and shrill.

It wasn't long before Celeste noticed they weren't the only two anymore. More of the things were now following her, at a distance. Some were jumping from tree to tree. She could see glimpses of their big yellow eyes. She almost tripped over another sliproot. "_What are these things? Are they going to eat me_?" Celeste wondered anxiously. She started running. Plants still moved and shivered. Small creatures quickly disappeared when they heard her. The creatures were now making more and more noise, as they kept up with her. She shouted at them and threw the rock she had in her hand at the one that was following her from behind. It paused it for a little while as it examined the rock, but Celeste didn't wait to see what it would do. She now ran as fast as she could.

The surroundings were starting to change now. Vines with little thorns weren't so eager to clear out of her way, so she had to push it aside, getting scraped in the process. The trees were getting smaller, and the ground more muddy. She could still hear the creatures, but it sounded like they were falling behind now. She suddenly came to a halt, as she almost ran into something big. She let out a scream and fell over backwards as she was trying to get away from it. She realized it was a horse, an enormous black horse. It was struggling with something, but hearing her it neighed angrily and kicked in her direction. Its leg was caught in something so it couldn't come nearer to her. She could also hear the creatures that were following her back off. "_Are they afraid of this…horse_?" she wondered. It was a fearsome creature to see. It was much bigger than a normal horse, its black skin gleamed as if wet. And its eyes…they were dark red. _"Am I trapped in a nightmare? Where am I!"_ she yelled at the trees, despairing.

It was quiet now. The creatures seems to have left. The horse was also still, observing her. It somehow looked sad. It was now lying down on its side, still trying to get the trapped leg released from something that looked like an iron trap, similar to the ones used by farmers to catch foxes and the like. A bigger one of course. Celeste wondered who might put such a thing in this forest, and what they were hoping to catch? A small huff drew her out of her musing. The horse looked at her and then shook its head towards the trap. "Is it asking me to release it?" Celeste wondered. It repeated the action. She slowly walked neared so she could see how to release the trap. She could try to stick something in and force it open…she picked up a branch that looked sturdy enough and pushed it in. The trap was quite tight. She pushed harder, but the branch snapped. The horse made a strangled sound. She apologized and then looked for something else. She saw something shiny sticking out a bit in the mud a little further on. It looked like a metal pole. "_This should work_," she thought and tried to pull it out. It burned her. She let out a yell and quickly let go. The skin on her hands now had red marks where the pole touched. She tried again, this time using some of the material of her night gown's skirt so that she wouldn't touch the pole. This worked, and it came out of the mud with little difficulty. It turned out to be a spear. Why it was stuck here in the mud, Celeste couldn't imagine. She pushed it into the trap, making sure it didn't touch her skin, and pushed. This time it held and slowly the trap was opening. She kept pushing as hard as she could until finally the horse pulled its leg free. She let the spear go and the trap snapped shut again. She stood back several paces quickly as the horse got up. It stood there shivering and tossing its head. It seemed like it could still stand on the hurt leg fine. Celeste was too scared to go near it. Instead she slowly backed off. It looked at her silently as she moved further away.

"Um, I'm just going to go now. Hope you are wholly well soon," she said softly.

Luckily it didn't follow her. Hours passed as she wandered on through the forest, hoping and praying that the blue creatures don't find her again. She was starting to get very hungry. "_I wonder what is safe to eat?_" She noticed another creature, looking like a ginger cat, but it got up its back legs and used its front ones like hands. It went up to a bush that bore bright yellow fruit and plucked one. It ate it, then took another and left. Celeste decided that it would be safe to eat. She looked around carefully before approaching the bush. She pluck one herself. It had a soft texture, almost like a peach. Her mouth watered as she tried to imaging what it would taste like. As she was about to take a bite, when suddenly the black horse she had saved before, broke through the bushes and charged at her. Terrified, she let the fruit drop and ran away, screaming. She ran and ran until she had no strength left to run anymore. It didn't look like it followed her, but how did it suddenly just appear? And why was it charging at her? She didn't hear it follow her before either. She was too tired now to worry too much, and she was still hungry. She found a place between the large roots of a tree, and eventually fell asleep crying, while around her rain was softly drizzling.

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There it is! Any thoughts? Let me know! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there! Thank you for your reviews and support. I appreciate the suggestions. I will keep them in mind. Thanks! :)

Chapter 3

Celeste opened her eyes, to be greeted by another somber morning, if it could be called so. During the night it had rained softly.

She had dreamt of a very homely cottage. It had all kinds of herbs and vegetables growing in the little garden surrounding it. A simple hedge kept it separated from the forest beyond. A stone-path lead up to the door. Vines covered a large part of the front of the cottage. It had beautiful purple flowers growing on it, like the one the old lady had given her. Smoke came out the chimney, along with the fresh smell of something being baked. Her tummy grumbled at the thought of it. The cottage was definitely somewhere in this forest. She also knew it was the old lady who had given her the purple flower's home. "_Was she trying to lead me there_?" Celeste wondered. The path to this cottage wasn't clear. She remember a small pathway leading up a hill, and a huge gnarled golden tree. She had heard the lady's voice in her dream. She called herself Veera. Just before Celeste had woken, she had heard the old lady say: "If you seek to know the path, let the path find you."

"_What was that supposed to mean?" _

"_Strange, I remember feeling cold during the night, but now I'm perfectly warm_," Celeste thought, as she looked at what it was that she had been holding in her arms. It was warm, fluffy, and ginger in color…

She quickly let it go, as if afraid it might attack her once it wakes. It was the creature she had observed eating from the bush the day before. It opened its eyes slowly, making a weak sound. It shivered slightly, trying again to make a sound, but it could barely open its mouth.

"You poor thing! You must have eaten something poisonous!" Celeste called out, feeling very sorry for the creature. It must have come to her, searching for aid.

"What must I do?" she asked aloud, but no answer came from the trees stooping over them, as if listening.

Just then the little creature got sick. "_That must be a good thing_?" Celeste wondered," _at least the poisonous food is out of its body_?"

She slowly reached her hand towards the creature, looking so much like a ginger kitten, but at the same time not. It watched her warily, making another weak sound. It allowed her to stroke it. Its fur was soft, and she felt a slight vibration, as if it wanted to spin. She looked at it closely now. It had the face, body and tail of a cat, but the ears were shaped like she'd imagine an elf's ears to be. And its legs…the front legs had two small hands instead of paws, similar to a monkey. Its eyes were a vibrant green. It now crawled closer to her. She picked it up, cradling it in her arms. It turned itself into a tight furry ball, lying still, breathing softly.

"I'll call you Tawny," Celeste said softly.

Only now did Celeste notice that there was a big leaf with different fruits piled on top of it not far from her. She wondered where it came from. Surely it couldn't have been Tawny? Did someone notice what had happened to her the day before and felt sorry for her? She couldn't see anyone.

"Hello? Is someone here?" she asked, but no answer came. Whoever brought it was either hiding, or left. She took a bite of one of the fruits, and was surprised at how delicious it was. She took another. Just then Tawny unfurled, looking at her with its green eyes.

"Do you also want some, Tawny? You'll need something to build up your strength."

She offered it some of the fruit she was eating. It sniffed it, then cautiously took a bite. It didn't eat everything she offered it, before curling itself in a ball of fur again. Celeste had another fruit, wondering how she was going to carry the rest and Tawny. Eventually she tore off a piece of her skirt, tying it so that it had a loop so that she could hook it over her shoulder. She put the fruit that was left in it. As she got up, so noticed the black horse standing about a stone's throw from her, looking at her silently.

"_Could it have been the black horse who….surely not_," Celeste thought.

She greeted it, and then set of to see where the day would lead her. She discovered that she now had two traveling companions. Tawny, who hasn't moved in her arms since it curled up after breakfast, and the black horse. It was following her at a distance. It didn't look angry or fierce. She thought of the day before, and realized that it actually saved her…

"Thank you for stopping me from eating from the bush Tawny ate yesterday," she said to the horse, who looked at her with interest. Almost as if it understood her…

"You gave me quite a fright, you know. I thought you were going to trample me."

They walked on in silence for a while.

"It is nice not to be alone. I woke up here just yesterday. It's been terrifying, all the weird and creepy plants, and those blue squirrels chasing me…they seem to be afraid of you, though. I wonder why?"

The horse just snorted, as if saying that it was obvious.

"I know you are bigger than a normal horse, and you have red eyes…gosh you don't eat meat, do you?" she asked, suddenly turning pale. If it did want to eat her, surely it would have done so while she was sleeping, wouldn't it?

The horse snorted again, tossing its head.

"Guess that is a no?" To her amazement, it nodded its head…

As they walked, Celeste told the horse of her dream about the cottage, and the hill with the golden tree. She also spoke of how much she missed her mother, and that she was worried about her. Who was going to look after the farm while she was at the market? She probably thought something had happened to her daughter. Perhaps she is searching for her right now? Celeste wiped a tear from her cheek.

"We are going to find this old woman, this Veera, and she's going to send me back where I came from," she said with resolve. The horse, at hearing the name Veera, jerked its head, and made a throaty noise, then snorted. It was clear that it didn't like this woman. "I must be going insane," Celeste told herself,"horses cannot speak, let alone understand the same way humans do." Somehow she wasn't completely convinced thereof…

Done and done! Review please!


	4. Chapter 4

Hi! Hope you enjoy reading my latest chappie! :)

Chapter 4

Celeste and her friends traveled down a little pathway they discovered. Tawny seemed a little better since the morning, but still kept itself nuzzled in her arms. Only now and then would it unfurl enough to pop its head up to see where they were. The black horse followed, keeping out of reach. The ground was muddy from all the rain, and Celeste was barefoot, slowing their progress. She slipped twice, but luckily regained her balance. Tawny just grumbled a little, not being entirely awake.

"I wish I could find some shoes," she said to the black horse, "all this mud can't be good. Only good to give you a cold, like my Ma always used to say. If it was Ve… the old woman that brought me here, she could at least have sent some clothes and shoes with me too."

Celeste was looking a bit of a mess. She was wearing her sleeping gown, now torn above her knee. At least it had long sleeves, but it still wasn't very thick. Ma said they'd get material for proper winter's night gowns with the extra money they would have from selling the pig. The now dead pig… I do hope ma is alright…

The black horse snorted. She was so occupied with her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that its footfalls weren't sounding behind her. It was standing a short distance off the pathway. When it had Celeste's attention, it tossed its head in the direction it was going.

"Are you sure that is the right way?" she asked the horse, slowly making her way there.

The horse continued, as if not hearing her. It wanted her to follow it, that much was clear. She quickened her pace, so she wouldn't lose sight of the horse as it pushed its way into the bushes. The growth was very thick here, so that she had difficulty keeping up. Finally they came to a small clearing. There was a huge tree standing in the middle. It wasn't the tree Celeste had dreamed about, but it was still beautiful. Leaves were falling down from its high branches, drifting slowly, timelessly. Celeste could feel that something was magical about this place. Somehow something seemed slightly off about it too. It was quiet, very quiet here. And no animals came into the clearing, nor were there any in the tree itself…

The horse walked closer to the tree, sniffed here and there, then dug with its hoof near the roots of the tree. Celeste carefully came closer to see what it was doing. When the earth was loosened, Celeste could vaguely make out a shape sticking out slightly. The horse stood aside, looking at her. She started digging with her hands, after putting the sack containing the leftover fruit and Tawny down on a grassy patch nearby. It sat up disgruntled, blinking its eyes. Very soon she unearthed a boot.

"Boots! You found me boots! Thank you!" she said exitedly as she dug out another. It would certainly help.

"Well, what do we have here?" a woman's voice said. Celeste jumped from fright. Next to the tree, looking down at her was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had long dark hair curling down her back up to her waist, with little white flowers braided into it. Her eyes were like the blue sky on a cloudless day. Her lips red and inviting, reminding her of cherries. Her body was well formed, and curvy in the right places. Celeste had to look down quickly, because even though she had been staring at the woman in awe because she was so beautiful, it would be the right thing to do. She was very beautiful, but also very naked. The vines that grew on her didn't cover much. It only gave her a more wild, mystical air. Celeste recalled reading about these creatures in a book before…a woman who lives under a tree, trapping men who happen to travel past or who stumbled upon her tree because they were lost…dryads!

"Ah, Calaelen. I see you brought friends," she said, looking at the black horse. The horse snorted.

"Don't worry, I have no desire or need for a skimpy little thing like her," the dryad said, leaning against the tree, "but do satisfy my curiosity. Why are you digging out old shoes under my tree?" She didn't look at Celeste once, as if ignoring her.

"I'm…sorry…I didn't know you live here," Celeste answered.

"I'm not asking you," she said with something in her voice that made Celeste keep quiet immediately. It seemed like somehow the horse could talk to the dryad, because after a while she said: "I can't see why you would waste your time with petty things…oh, had you been but a man…" she continued alluringly,"…your courage and strength would certainly best them all." She sighed, then finally turned her gaze on Celeste.

"Calaelen tells me you need proper clothes. Normally I would ask something in return from you, but in this case…I am going to make an exception, for Calaelen's sake." She snapped her fingers, in instantly a clean set of clothes appeared in her hand. A shirt, coat, and pants. All mens clothes.

"It is not new, but it will do. It's not like its previous owner is ever going to have need of them again." Celeste didn't dare ask what she meant. She took the clothes, thanking the dryad. She followed the black horse after picking up her things, and Tawny, whose hairs were standing up. It was trying to hiss at the dryad, but clearly didn't have the energy to do so properly. Celeste was too afraid to look at the dryad again, so so just kept her eyes on the black horse and followed.

It wasn't long before they reached the pathway again. She changed into the clothes, turning her back on the black horse as she did so. The boots luckily didn't have a lot of dirt inside them, as if thrown into a hole and covered. She didn't have socks to wear them with, but anything was better than going barefeet.

They had the rest of the left-over fruit when they got to a little stream. Tawny was much more lively now than the morning. Instead of curling into a ball, it was now hanging over her arm. She at first thought it wanted to be put down, but it hissed at her and clinged to her arm.

"So, your name is Calaelen?" she asked the horse, standing nearby, chewing on some grass. It nodded its head slightly.

"Does that mean you were human before?" This time it shook it, snorting.

"Oh." Celeste wondered what manner of creature this horse was then, she couldn't remember reading about them…

It was now getting dark fast, so they decided to stay put for the night. Celeste gathered a few sticks, and after a long time managed to get a fire started, but the horse trampled it at once. It snorted angrily at her before finding a little grassy patch not far off and lying down on its side.

"Fine, you could have said something before I went through all the trouble to get the fire started!" Celeste replied, feeling annoyed. It would have been nice to have a fire to warm them up a bit…

As she falling asleep later, she looked at the black horse, and noticed that it was still awake, ears twitching as if listening for sounds. She realized the horse was keeping guard. She didn't give it much thought, as sleep quickly claimed her and she sunk into the world of dreams.

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Done! But there is much more to come! What did you think? Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everyone! Another chappie to enjoy! :)

Chapter 5

Celeste dreamed of the pathway they were following, crossing the stream further up. It led up a hill to the golden tree she had dreamed of before. She wanted to walk closer to have a better look, but someone was calling her.

"Celeste! Celeste!" it slowly faded, until it sounded more like a cat meowing. And it was raining, she felt wetness on her cheek…

Finally she woke, with Tawny sitting on her chest, staring at her with big green eyes. She quickly retracted her turquoise tongue.

"Meow?"

She laughed, and tickled it behind its ears, which it enjoyed very much.

"You are looking much better today, Tawny! Guess I won't have to carry you around all day anymore."

Celeste looked for Calaelen, and found him having a drink from the stream. Tawny had very quickly scrambled up her arm, and was now sort-of perching on her shoulder. The hands were holding on to Celeste's shoulder, but the back legs were pushed out through the arms, if it could be called so, so that it was sticking out in the front. Celeste smiled by herself, wondering how long Tawny would manage sitting like that.

"Morning," she said to Calaelen. The horse lifted its head slightly, as if acknowledging her greeting, then continued drinking. She stood nearby, listening to the stream flowing. It was a bit wider and deeper here where they were. She noticed the grey sky. It looked like this day would be a little less gloomy than the others. Just then Calaelen snorted, and before she could do or say anything, the horse had pushed her aside. She was knocked straight off her feet. Tawny made a very peculiar noise as she tried to keep her balance on Celeste's shoulder, digging her back legs into her back. Calaelen reared and stamped its mighty hooves on the bank, baring his teeth.

Only now did Celeste see a weird looking face peering at them with hateful little eyes. Its hair was like a patch of dead grass and its skin a muddy brown. It bared its own teeth at us, before sinking down, disappearing into the water. Celeste sat in shock. Somehow she knew it would have drowned her, had it the chance to do so.

Calaelen seemed to have calm down now. He walked over to Celeste, making a throaty sound as he looked at her.

"I am fine, if that is what you are asking. Thank you for saving me, Calaelen."

The horse nodded its head slightly.

Tawny was now sitting in her lap, looking at her with terrible sad eyes.

"Meow?"

"You should be careful with those back legs of yours, Tawny. I think you left some marks." Tawny now looked even more pathetic. Celeste realized that her voice tone probably made the poor thing think she was mad.

"I am not angry at you, Tawny. Just be careful, okay?" she said in a friendly manner, tickling her behind her ears. She instantly brightened up, making little sounds that sounded like purring mixed with something else.

Soon the three of them were on the road again. Celeste had told Calaelen what she had dreamed, and they were now looking for the place they would cross higher up the stream. Eventually they came to a place where a tree had fallen over, making a bridge across. Not far from there they found a little pathway winding up a hill. It took them a while, but eventually they reached the top. They had a good view of the forest, and Celeste spotted a thin line of smoke.

"That must be from the cottage's chimney!" she exclaimed excitedly. Another little pathway winded down towards it. A sound made her turn around. Then she saw it. The gnarled tree of her dream. Its leaves were pure gold. One of the leaves fell down, making a 'thud' sound. Celeste stared at it in wonder.

"Mother could use a few of these. She'll not have to sell things at the market for a long time!" Celeste wondered how heavy these leaves were. Just then a little tree sprite appeared, hanging upside down from one of the branches.

"He who has a heart of greed, will soon come to a bad end indeed!" he said, then disappeared up the tree again, laughing.

"So this is a magical tree?" Celeste asked no one in particular,"I do feel this tree had been in my dream for a reason. I will take only one leaf then."

They continued down the pathway. The cottage was further away than it had appeared from the top of the hill. Later Celeste was getting hungry, and she thought Tawny too, because she had to keep her from chewing her shirt collar.

"Do you know if any of these fruits here are edible?" she asked Calaelen.

The horse looked around, then went over to a bush with clusters of small red fruits. He ate some of it.

"Oh, I guess that's safe then?"

After eating enough, they continued until darkness settled. Celeste wish they could make a fire. It became dreadfully dark at night. When she mentioned this, Calaelen made it clear that he would not tolerate it, stamping his hoof.

"It is getting cold! We'll freeze during the night!" Celeste complained, sitting down with her arms folded around her knees. Tawny crawled into the space, so that she was nestled between Celeste's arms, tummy, and legs.

"At least she'll stay warm for now," Celeste thought, still angry with the black horse for being so stubborn. Isn't fire supposed to be good to keep bad things away?

Calaelen stood at a distance, tossing his head. He too wasn't in a good mood.

Celeste later fell asleep, and dreamed of a meadow full of flowers. Pink, red, blue, yellow, orange, purple. All the colors you could imagine was there. It was so beautiful, so serene…

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That's it for now, expect more soon! Review if you have any thoughts! Thanks.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi again! Thank you for your reviews and support! There is still much in store for this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Chapter 6

Morning came quicker than Celeste had hoped for. Her whole body was aching from all the walking. And her back was still sore where Tawny had clawed her to keep from falling off her shoulder. She stifled a groan as she sat up, Tawny now also wakening in her arms. She stretched her tiny body and yawned. It was unbelievable how wide her mouth could open for such a small animal…

Calaelen was lying beside her. She had been warm all night, Celeste realised and felt sorry for her outburst the previous night. Calaelen just looked at her in silence. Close up the black horse was even more fearsome. He was unusually large for a horse. Celeste now noticed that his skin was somehow like a seal's, and that there were scars visible where the fur didn't cover it. She wondered how he got hurt. They were old, unlike the leg wound that has recovered well so far. The horse's mane and tail were tangled, and its eyes…an unusual dark red. If Celeste hadn't known the creature better she would have screamed from fear. Those same eyes at times looked like they understood everything she said, or sometimes sad when Calaelen didn't know she was looking. Its lips also covered teeth different than a normal horse's. It was sharp. Why this creature chose to stay with her and protect her she didn't know. She was sure if it meant her harm, their journey would have been a much shorter one. Celeste couldn't help but wonder about the horse, about Calaelen…

Celeste realised she had been staring, and looked away quickly. This might be an animal, but it was definitely not an ordinary creature.

"I…thank you…" was all she could think to say.

The horse nodded its head, and got up. They had been lucky to find more fruits to eat. Celeste wish they had some bread and jam, or even just with butter. She often had it at home, because of there not being much else. Butter was of course a treat she and her mom only occasionally allowed themselves. The jam usually depended on the seasons. She never thought much of it. Now it seemed like food for a queen.

The three of them continued their journey, following the little pathway. At about noon they came to a beautiful meadow, the one Celeste had seen in her dream. It was simply breath-taking. Flowers bloomed everywhere, in different shades of blue, pink, red, orange, purple, white, yellow and curiously even black flowers. Some flowers were very small, clustering together like frightened little children… Celeste wondered why she thought of them that way… Others were bigger than her hand, displaying their vibrant colours boldly. Some looked like little upside down bells, their petals curling in as they neared them. Others again looked very much like they had eyes on them, but if they were they kept them closed. The scene was so serene, but at the same time something felt off about it. Celeste couldn't tell exactly what. A slight breeze was blowing, causing the flowers to wave, or were they shivering? It would have been simply idyllic, had it not been for the clouds always blocking the sun. How these flowers grew so well in so little sunlight was a mystery.

Just then a gnome sprang up between the blossoms. He laughed wickedly.

"Caught in my circle and pledged to me, seven years to go by before you are free!" he sang, jumping around.

"Wait! What do you mean?" Celeste asked. Calaelen made a frustrated sound. Celeste saw him tossing his head angrily. Then she saw what has happened. His left back hoof was standing inside a mushroom circle. She remembered hearing stories as a kid about how it was bad luck to step into flower or mushroom circles, as wicked fairies could trap you with them. She always thought it was just stories.

The little gnome was now on Calaelen's back, talking so much and fast that at first Celeste couldn't understand it. Calealen was furious, snapping at it with his sharp teeth. It was always just too quick. The gnome was now on his head. He shook it, but the gnome had disappeared and suddenly re-appeared next to Celeste.

"What are you looking at? I have no business with you or the furry one," he said in an annoyed tone, as if shooing a child away.

"Wait! You can't take my friend, I need him!"

"Friend you say?" he said, giving Calaelen another look, " you wish to tell me that you willingly travel with this beast?"

"He's no beast!" Celeste cried out, "please, you have to let him go!"

"Hmm, just too bad you don't have anything else I want…this creature can serve me well…it's strong…has a bit of an attitude, though…" the gnome mumbled to itself, as if not hearing Celeste at all.

Celeste desperately looked at what she could offer the gnome. Tawny? No, she could never do that. The clothes she had on certainly wouldn't impress a gnome. She felt in her pocket, and found the golden leaf. She wanted to keep it for her mother, but how could she not use it if it could save her friend?

"I offer you all that I have, a golden leaf," she said and showed it to the gnome.

The gnome's eyes shone with excitement at seeing it.

"Many have not even picked one, and in an instant come undone! Very well, I will take your leaf. Now be off. All of you."

With that the gnome disappeared, and so did the golden leaf that was in Celeste's hand.

With the gnome seemingly gone, the flowers with the eyes opened them, and were now staring at them. They looked so sad… she just felt like picking them and taking them with her. Were they perhaps others trapped here by the gnome in this form? She wish she could help them, but knew she couldn't.

"Let us go before he changes his mind," she said to Tawny and Calaelen, and they eagerly left the meadow.

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	7. Chapter 7

Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

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Chapter 7

"Well, we found the meadow I dreamt of. I wonder where we should go next?" Celeste asked her companions after they've traveled for a while, pushing through what seemed to be endless bushes. As if hearing her words, a pathway suddenly cleared.

"Looks like this is it? Perhaps I should have asked sooner?" Celeste said with relief. She was wondering why Veera was leading them to all these places. Why not just lead them straight to her cottage? And when they get there, will she have answers for all the questions that are milling around in her mind?

Tawny was pestering Calaelen by jumping on his back and then quickly pulling herself up branches or vines when he tried to nip her. Celeste called her, noticing Calaelen's snort of agitation.

"You shouldn't do that, Tawny! Naughty girl!" Celeste said, as the strange cat purched on her shoulder in its unusual way, curling its tail around Celeste's neck, purring. She tickled Tawny behind the ears a bit.

"I wish we could reach the cottage already," Celeste complained after they've traveled for several hours. She was tired. Even Calaelen's head was drooping slightly. The pathway just seem to twist and turn forever. So many times Celeste was hopeful of seeing the cottage around the next corner, but instead just another section of pathway and bushes greeted them. She heard many strange and sometimes terrifying sounds as they went. Having the black horse with her, no other creatures had tried to catch or eat her again so far. She was at least thankful for that. Also to have the horse's company. She felt safe. And she had to admit that she somehow became fond of the horse, even with its strangeness.

They came to a halt when the pathway dissapeared into a wall of very prickly woody vine growing in tangled masses having tough round stems with shiny leathery leaves and small greenish flowers followed by clusters of shiny black berries. There was no way around it.

Celeste sat down on a grassy patch nearby. Calaelen joined her, and she had to grab the naughty cat to prevent it from scampering up his back again. The kitten had too much energy for its own good. Tawny changed her mind, and decided she wanted to explore the nearby stones. Celeste let her go.

When she looked at Calaelen, she noticed something shiny in his mane. It was barely visible between the tangles and twigs and whatever else was there. Curiosity got the better of her.

"There is something in your mane...may I?" she asked the horse, who had been observing her quietly, like it usually did when they rested. It nodded its head slightly.

She discovered a fine chain with a pendant hanging form it, braided into his mane. It looked the same as the one she had since she was born.

"Where…dit you get this?" she asked the horse, and wish it could talk. She wondered what it meant that they both had it? The pendant was a small green gemstone, shaped like a teardrop. Celeste had been told that hers was a gift from her father the day she was born. Perhaps she was dreaming after all, and her mind was playing tricks on her?

Just then they heard a terribly shriek. It came from somewhere inside the briars.

"Tawny!"

Celeste quickly made her way to the wall, and tried to push some of the branches aside. Instead of being pricked by the torns as she did so, it all just gave way, like mist. She lost her balance, there being nothing to lean against and tumbled forward into it. At once she was lost in a world of swirling mist. She called out to Tawny and Calaelen, but couldn't make out where they were answering from. Everything was confusing. She walked in the direction she thought she should go to get out. Then the mist formed into a landscape. She recognised it. Home! She almost shouted for joy, when she noticed her mom standing with a little girl next to her. She was wearing black, and she was crying. She remembered…when her father's body was found. Her mother mourned for weeks. Those were dark days. As a little girl she couldn't understand why her father wasn't coming home. Feelings of terrible gloom, sadness and guilt wanted to overwhelm her.

"No! It wasn't my fault!" she yelled. Later when she was older, she believed that it was somehow her fault. She couldn't explain why. She turned and ran away.

The landscape became mist again, swirling around her. Then it took shape again. She saw a carriage lying on its side next to a road. Burning. She remembered her dream. Then she noticed the armoured men fighting. Someone shouted at her to run. Again she saw the man with long black hair. He was coming for her with a sword in his hand.

"No!" she yelled, running away again. This time the man was shouting for her to stop, that he wouldn't hurt her, almost pleading with her. She couldn't see him clearly when she looked back. The mist were settling in again, but she heard the footfalls. She kept walking carefully, not wanting to trip as the mist got thicker. Then she noticed the footfalls doubled…it sounded like a horse… The neigh confirmed her suspicion. The mist thinned slightly.

"Calaelen!" she cried, and threw her arms around the horse's neck. The horse was trembling. A pathetic moan made her aware of Tawny sitting on Calaelen's back. She too was shaking like she'd just seen the devil. He horse nudged her towards his back. It lowered itself so that she could get up. Then slowly he made his way through the mist. No new landscapes formed, but there were whispers all around them. Some accusing, some pleading, some mocking. Celeste couldn't understand most of it. Then, suddenly they stepped out of the mist. It was already dusk, and would be dark soon. It was wonderful to draw in the late evening air, and to be able to see clearly. Behind them stood the wall of briars. They continued up the pathway that was seemingly waiting for them, until they were well away from the briar wall.

They found a good resting place with some trees. Tawny got all excited, and quickly disappeared up in the branches. After a while she came back with her paws or rather hands, full of nuts. She cracked one open and ate it, purring loudly. Then she offered the rest to us, before going up the tree again. She brought several more 'hand-fulls'. The shells were not as hard as ordinary nuts, which made it easy for Celeste to break it open. She broke some open for Calaelen as well. It wasn't a proper meal, but it was good to at least eat something.

"Tonight I will keep watch so you can rest," she told Calaelen as she sat down next to him. At first it looked like he wanted to protest, but then laid his head down and closed his eyes. Celeste sat listening to the night sounds. Later the horse's breathing deepened, and she knew it was asleep. As she looked up at the night sky, she saw a shooting star.

"I wish…I wish that mama is allright," she thought.

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Reviews welcome! Thanks! :)


	8. Chapter 8

Enjoy! :)

Chapter 8

During the first part of the night Celeste could at least look at the stars, but then it became clouded, so that it was almost pitch black around them. She could barely see her hand stretched out in front of her. The darkness didn't stop all the eerie sounds. Sometimes Celeste thought she saw eyes blinking at them in the darkness. This made her sit closer to Calaelen. Tawny moaned a bit as Celeste shifted, kicking slightly with her back leg. She was sleeping in Celeste's lap. She tried not to think about her experience in the mist, or that something might have followed them here. Surely she was just tired.

Finally dawn crept up upon them. Calaelen looked much better this morning. He had slept like a log, or rather a very tired horse, through the whole night.

"I hope it's not still far we have to go to get to the cottage," Celeste said feeling weary.

Tawny stretched after yawning, then disappeared into some nearby bushes to do what she needed to do.

Celeste got up unsteadily. Calaelen watched her.

"Don't worry, I'll be all-right. Just stiff from sitting down," Celeste said trying to chase the fussiness from her mind. Just then she walked into a tree…

Calaelen nudged her in her back when she was back on her feet again, then lowered himself onto his knees so that she could reach his back. She held on to his mane as he got up. For a moment everything was spinning. She shut her eyes tight, and held on. When she opened them a few moments later she was sitting high up on Calaelen's back. She didn't realise how far down it was when she rode on his back in the mist. This was definitely the biggest horse she had ever seen or sat on.

With a little screech of joy Tawny came flying out of a nearby tree, grabbing hold of Celeste's clothes to keep it from tumbling down. She was spinning loudly, making little noises as if trying to tell Celeste of her morning adventures. Calaelen gave a snort and swished his tail out of agitation, but then set off on the little pathway that they always seemed to find again and again.

This day was less gloomy then the others. It almost felt warm, like the sun was trying to break through the clouds. Several hours had passed since they started their journey this morning. That was when Celeste smelled it… the most delicious smell. She had almost forgotten what it smelt like. Freshly baked bread. Or was it sweet cakes? No, now she is smelling cooked ham! Her stomach complained. It has been so long that they only had berries and other fruits to eat. She knew Calaelen also smelled it, because his nostrils were flaring slightly and he slowed down his pace.

"There must be people nearby!" she said excitedly.

To her disappointment Calaelen tossed his head, snorting, and then went in the opposite direction from where the lovely smells came from.

"Wait! We can get something good to eat from there!" she said, but the horse didn't seem to pay her any attention. She only now noticed that something seemed to be wrong with Calaelen. His body was trembling and he was breathing irregular. Spit seemed to be dripping from his mouth.

"What is wrong, Calaelen?" she whispered to the horse, but it didn't seem to hear her. Then he started running. First at a slow pace, but then faster and faster. Celeste called out to the seemingly deaf horse, and clasped Tawny in her arms while holding on to Calaelen's mane for dear life.

They passed what looked like huge baskets, and women busy cutting something from bushes. Celeste couldn't see much as they rushed pass. She heard yelling. Calaelen suddenly came to a halt when they reached a wall built of sticks. We swung around, and ran along the wall trying to get around it.

"The black horse of the marshes!" someone screamed. Men came running with spears and other things. Calaelen pushed his way through a small opening in the wall. Celeste had to pull her legs up so she wouldn't get hurt.

The people here looked very unusual. They had purple skin, large eyes with long black hair, and pointed ears. Why she could understand them she didn't know.

"It's going to kill her!" someone else shouted as they passed by what looked to be a hut of some sort.

"Get off that thing, girl! It's a waterhorse!"

"Quick, kill it!"

Other things were also yelled that she couldn't make out. A lot of them were now following on foot. They ran fast, faster than Celeste could imagine, but still they were soon falling behind. It just seemed like they were leaving them behind for good when out of nowhere a spear flew towards them, just missing Celeste. It sunk into Calaelen's shoulder. The horse cried out in pain and abruptly stopped, then bit onto the shaft and pulled it out before running again. Blood was soon covering his whole front leg. Celeste was crying, and pleaded with the horse to stop somewhere so she could treat it, but he kept running until finally they reached a little cottage. Celeste recognised it from her dreams. This was Veera's cottage.

Celeste slid off Calaelen's back with Tawny in her arms. The horse was breathing heavily.

"Greetings and welcome, young ones!" an old lady said, whom Celeste recognised as well.

"Veera! Calaelen is gravely injured! Please we've got to help him!"

"Worry not, child. In the morning he'll be as good as new. The black horse of the marshes has withstood many trials before."

Celeste let her hand slide soothingly down the horse's neck as it stood trembling from blood loss.

"There is fresh hay in the stable. Take him there, child. I shall be there shortly with warm water and the things needed to treat his wound."

Celeste walked with the horse to the stable. Calaelen first had a good drink from a water bucket nearby before laying himself down. Veera came and handed a bowl with warm water and a cloth to Celeste. All fear forgotten, she very gently cleaned the blood. Then Veera dressed the wound. After that she gave Celeste something hot to drink, saying it will help her to be calm.

"You may rest here for the night. We can talk in the morning. I've also brought you something to eat in the basket over there. I bid you goodnight," was all she said before leaving them. The drink tasted of spices and honey. In the basket Celeste found some bread rolls, cheese, and butter! She gave some to Calaelen, who only ate a little, and helped herself. Tawny would have eaten everything else had Celeste not kept an eye on her. Later they settled down for the night.

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Done and done! Reviews are welcome! :)


	9. Chapter 9

Hi there! Hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Chapter 9

That night Celeste dreamt again of running away from someone. She looked back and saw a carriage burning, knowing she had been in it herself moments before. The flames were coloring the night sky with strokes of red and yellow. She saw men fighting and heard yelling. Someone yelled at her to run. Then she saw the man again who always came after her… She ran into the woods, stumbling and crying. Then fell. Her follower was gaining ground on her. He was yelling angrily that he would not be fooled by her trickery. Then she saw the face of the man just before waking up…

She had fallen asleep lying with her head against Calaelen's side, but now it somehow has become much flatter… She realised she was lying with her head on a man's chest. She sat up quietly. It was indeed a man, lying under the blanket she had tenderly put on Calaelen the night before. The man's face…it was the same man that always chased after her in her dreams. She now knew other things she didn't know before as well. At least parts, some things were still a bit foggy, like trying to look at something through mist.

She was not the daughter of a farmer. Her father was king Bourne, of the fairy court of daybreak. She was to marry the son of king Auberon, of the fairy court of nightfall. Their marriage was meant to unite the two kingdoms. She remembered the long journey in the carriage, and when they were attacked. The choas that engulfed her whole world. Lady Anne got out of the carriage and was killed by an arrow shot. She screamed. She heard men shouting and the sound of steel clanging. She was too frightened to leave the carriage, until one of her guardsmen came and urged her to get out and run, because the carriage was set on fire. She looked back when she reached the fringe of the forest. One of the attackers broke away from the fighting and came after her. She had run deeper into the woods to escape, when she fell and rolled down a hill. She had sprained her ancle and struggled to get up. Her pursuer met up with her. It was the same man she was seeing in front of her now in Veera's stable. He was accusing her of being a fraud, the product of witchcraft and deceit. She didn't understand what he was talking about. He then lifted his sword and would have killed her, had an old woman not intervened. She looked like Veera, but she didn't have any friendliness in her face at all. Her eyes were cold and full of hate. The last Celeste remember was her words, which she now knew was a spell:

"_As you find your way through the human ways,_

_you shall not remember where you came from._

_Insignificant you will be, until you learn life's secret. _

_Then you shall be free."_

She looked at the man, who was still sleeping. Could this be Calaelen? Calaelen…she remembered something else that made her heart stand still. That was the name of the man she was to marry… This man, like the horse had long black hair with twigs and things still tangled into it. Scars were visible on his arms and chest. His face was beautiful, now while he was sleeping and now scowling at her like he always did in her dreams. Curiously he had no beard, nor any stubble as one would expect a man to have who hasn't shaved for a long time… She saw something stick out slightly between some of his long tangled hair. A long pointed ear, like those she'd read about in her storybooks…the fairyfolk her mom used to call them…of course! They were fairies after all! Celeste felt a bit embarrassed not immediately remembering this. That would also explain why the man had no stubble or beard. Her hands went up instantaneously to her own ears. They were pointed too. She could remember almost everything, or so she thought, about her past, but at times the memories felt like they were slipping away again.

Something glittering caught Celeste's eye. Around the man's neck was a fine chain, whith a pendant hanging from it. She recognised it as being the same as the one the horse had braided into his mane, and the one she carried around her neck since child-birth. Her mother…her human mother had told her it was a gift from her father. The truth was that it was the symbol of Celeste's and Calaelen's union to come. This man was the man she was to marry and also the man who wanted to kill her…

Just then she was startled as she heard murmering and saw the man had opened his eyes and was staring at her. Where the horse's eyes were dark red, his were midnight blue. The colour of the deepest parts of the ocean.

"How I long for the day that I can say I am sorry to you, fair lady…"

His voice was very pleasant to hear. Again much different from the voice of the man in her dreams who were accusing and threatening her.

Surprised he realised he could hear his own voice, and that he was a horse no longer. He stared at his hands as if seeing them for the first time. He looked at his arms and his chest. Then he pulled the blanket back to see his feet, wiggling his toes like a little boy.

He laughed, a beautiful musical laugh.

"The spell is broken, at last!" he proclaimed.

Celeste had moved away so that her back was against the stable wall.

"Celeste…"he said, reaching his hand towards her, "I know I have much to apologise for and a lot I regret. Please don't be afraid of me."

Celeste felt sorry for him. She could see true remorse. She went closer to him slowly, but without accepting his hand sat down on the straw not far from him. She still remembered very vividly how this same man had wanted to kill her…

"Why did you attack us?" she asked the question that weighed heaviest of all on her mind.

"We were told that your father planned an attack on nightfall court and that he was using magic to disguise assassins."

"Assassins?" Celeste said very surprised, "who would suggest such a thing?"

"Veera."

_________________

Short and sweet, but there is more to come! Reviews welcome! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Hi! Thank you for the reviews, it is very encouraging! :) Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Just then Veera walked in with a wooden tray. The smell of bacon, egg and freshly baked bread filled the stable and made both Celeste and Calaelen's mouths water. Tawny appeared out of thin air, giving a very desperate, but hopeful meow. Pieces of straw was still stuck in her fur, all that is left of an unsuccessful mouse hunt. Having hands for front paws wasn't always handy.

"Good morning children. I'm sure you must be starved after such a long journey."

Calaelen got up, remembering just in time to keep hold of the blanket covering the lower part of his body. Celeste struggled to keep from blushing. She'd seen some of the men who used to work on the farm sometimes without their shirts when it was a very hot day, and they didn't know she was near, but this man was very naked…and well formed… She quickly concentrated on Veera, before she would resemble a certain red vegetable.

"Why have you deceived us?" Calaelen demanded, not aware at all of Celeste's inward struggle.

Veera lifted an eyebrow, as if surprised.

"Me? Nay, it was not me but my sister Agnus. She took my form and used it for her own wicked ends."

"How can we be sure you are speaking the truth, that you are not Agnus herself playing more tricks on us?" Celeste asked.

"If I was Agnus, I wouldn't be serving you breakfast. I'd be watching you being eaten for breakfast by something else. Besides, I have nothing to gain from you. I don't desire kingdoms or power or whatnot. I am happy where I am."

Calaelen didn't look convinced. Celeste was unsure what to think.

"It took me a long time to see what my sister had been up to and then to find you in the human world…it was no easy task. And Calaelen…he'd only come to me because of you. I tried to talk to him before, but he simply tried to trample on me every time he saw me. I think you know what I speak of…" she said pointing a finger at Calaelen. He looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I…didn't realise that was what you were trying to do. I was too angry. You looked like the woman who cursed me to be what I was for so long…sorry," Calaelen said.

"No need to apologise, child. Just get that sister of mine to mind her own business. Her meddling is really stirring up a lot of trouble. Since you two vanished, the two courts have always been at each others throats. That has not done anyone any good, even us stray folks."

"We'll have to find this treacherous woman! She has to answer for her foul deeds!" Calaelen exclaimed.

"First we need to go home, and let our parents know that we live still," Celeste interrupted.

"All of that has to be done, yes. But I have to warn you that my powers are far less superior to my sister' I've been able to lift the spell from you both, it will only last two weeks. You will only be able to truly break the spell by solving the riddle she has laid upon you."

"_As you find your way through the human ways,_

_you shall not remember where you came from._

_Insignificant you will be, until you learn life's secret. _

_Then you shall be free," _Celeste recalled.

"Life's secret?" Calaelen asked," what is that supposed to mean?"

Veera rubbed her forehead as if trying to get rid of a headache. She sighed.

"To truly live and be happy one must learn to forgive."

"That has been done, hasn't it? I do not hold anything against Calaelen or his father's court, for they had been misled," Celeste said.

"And I have no hatred towards Celeste's father's court, only forgiveness to ask. And I am sure my father would feel the same once he learns the truth," added Calaelen.

"Ahh, now you are getting somewhere," Veera said," you two might have forgiven each other, but this involves more than you. You both have been absent from the court for many years. The hatred and hurt between the courts run deep and my sister has not been idle. To truly break her spell both courts have to be willing to lay down sword, bow and arrow and forgive."

"Surely that could be done once they learn the truth?" Celeste asked.

"That remains to be seen, child."

"Where is Agnus now, Veera?"

"She's my father's counselor," Calaelen replied," she'd be at my father's court without a doubt."

"How did that happen?" asked Celeste.

"She showed up one day at my father's court saying that in three days time a storm would hit the fields. He at first didn't believe her and sent her away, but it came true. After that she foretold many things and what she said happened. He made her his counselor, and her word came to be regarded very highly. When our fathers agreed to sign the treaty and seal it with…our marriage, Ve…Agnus said that Bourne had ill intentions in mind and that the carriage sent to bring you to us carried weapons and trained warriors. She said that we shouldn't be fooled by seeing you, that a sorceror was at work, changing an assassin's appearance to look like you. Ironic, isn't it?" Calaelen said bitterly.

"Weapons, trained warriors and assassins?" Celeste asked with wide eyes.

"They were only my lady in waiting and my personal guard, armed only to fend off wild creatures from the woods or attach from wandering fay. The carriage only contained food for our party and gifts, including rare material spun from the wool of sky deer, and of course my personal things. I can't believe your father just simply believed her."

"Why wouldn't he? Like I said, whatever she said before came to pass. Only, now I think she probably made those things happen too, the witch!"

"Well, if she's still in your father's court, it might be tricky to get in without her telling him we're demons of some sort. It would perhaps be better to go to my father's court first," Celeste said.

"What would that accomplish?" Calaelen asked, looking a bit suspicious.

"I'm sure they won't try to kill us at first sight, and we need to get cleaned up properly. If it became known in my father's court that we both live, it will spread as trading surely still continues amongst our people. Agnus shouldn't be able to explain when your father's own people claim they've seen you with their own eyes. It should make it easier for us to return."

"I don't know if this will work, but at least it is a plan," Calaelen said sounding a bit tired, even though he'd just woke from a night's rest.

"Do not underestimate my sister Agnus," Veera warned,"but I do think it is a sound plan to begin with."

"Very well, then let us finish our breakfast and set off. Two weeks is not a long time," said Calaelen.

"Agreed."

A slight smile spread on Veera's face as she looked at the determined looks on their faces.

"I will have something ready for you to take along on your journey, and some clothes for you."

She made her way to the stable door.

"Veera!" Celeste called after her.

"What is it child?"

"Thank you….for everything."

"Don't thank me child, I am not doing this because I care about the courts. I do this because I am hoping it will put an end to all the stupid fools that come wandering into these forests trying to find Calaelen. What a nuisance they are! Wrecked my garden and raided my kitchen….tsk tsk…" The last part she said muttering to herself as she disappeared around the corner.

"What a strange woman," Calaelen observed.

"Strange perhaps, but she still helped us in our hour of need. Here, let us eat before the eggs get cold."

She gave some of her bacon and a piece of bread to Tawny, who was purring loudly as she devoured it. Then she made queer noises while looking at Celeste, begging for more.

"Here," Calaelen said, giving her some of his food as well. She ate it quickly, then proceeded to licking her hands clean.

"This doesn't mean we're suddenly best friends," Calaelen said to Tawny, who gave him a calculating look, then lifted her leg and continued licking her bum.

"Well, guess the feeling is mutual," Celeste said laughing. Calaelen couldn't help but laugh too.

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Done! What did you think? Review and let me know! :)


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks again for your reviews. It makes me happy to see readers are enjoying my story! The advice I am getting is also appreciated. THANK YOU!!! :)

Chapter 11

The journey to Celeste's father's court took 3 days as they had to travel on foot. Veera kindly gave them plenty of provisions. Calaelen carried the bundle over his shoulder, while keeping an eye on Tawny who was now more than ever persistent to sit on his other shoulder, the naughty feline!

Calaelen no longer had the strength or speed he had as a horse, and they had no weapons, so they had to travel more cautiously than before, even though they were now travelling on the king's road, the main road used between the two courts. They kept just out of sight of being seen by travelers. Veera did give Celeste a walking stick, which she supposed could do as a weapon if the need arised…

Luckily they did not encounter other wandering fay or dangerous animals. Celeste's heart became lighter as they entered her father's realm, and the dangerous forest was left behind. Things looked very much the way she remembered it. They passed the orchard of laughter, where trees had bright yellow fruits with orange stripes on them. When one ate of it, it would make you feel so happy that you couldn't help but laugh from joy. It was rumoured that once a fairy ate too many and could never stop laughing for the rest of his life…

The river of calmness was still flowing strongly. Celeste beckoned to Calealen to have some with her. Its light pink water tasted slightly of strawberry. It was true to its name in that it made the things she was worrying about seem far away. She wondered how her parents would react at their return. According to Veera it has been years… It is a good thing fairies don't age the way humans do. They can only die if killed or of a broken heart. They do not get sick or old.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the water. Her face had changed. Her features were now less human. She had the higher cheekbones and slightly slanted and larger eyes of the fairy folk. Her hair was a light colour, although it was reflecting with a pink tint because of the water. Her eyes were an unusual light colour as well. She remembered that she had hair the colour of the sun's rays and light hazel eyes. What a contrast she and Calaelen made!

They soon met some young ones who were playing hide and seek in the tall grasses. They stopped their game and followed them. Two strangers were much more interesting than finding their mates. Then the old tree came into sight, the one in which the fairy court of sunrise lived. This tree was unusually large and towered high into the sky. It was not possible to see the top from the ground. Wooden platforms, ladders and bridges tied all the dwellings together. The royal dwelling was right at the top. Calaelen stood breathless for a while, staring at it with awe. Tawny made a little 'huff' sound from where she was sitting on Celeste's shoulder.

"This is home, just wait until you see it inside," Celeste said, feeling not a little proud. She took Calaelen's hand as they made their way there.

It didn't take long for a crowd to follow them. Fairy folk stopped with what they were doing and stared. Others ran ahead to inform the king and queen.

"It's the princess!" some whispered.

"She's alive!"

"Who is with her? Someone from Auberon's court?"

"Are they real?"

They reached the platform that surrounded the royal house. The king waited for them on the stairs with the guard. He didn't look very happy. He looked tired and sad. This confused Celeste. Why wasn't he happy to see her?

"Father…" Celeste said, but it didn't change his face at all. Was he not recognising her?

"Seize them!" he ordered. Calaelen looked like he would fight them, but Celeste gave him a quick glance and pleaded with her eyes that he wouldn't resist. Although he glowered at them, he did as she asked.

Celeste pleaded with her father, but he ignored her, ordering that they be put in separate cells. Tawny hissed at the guard that was trying to grab her. She moved with amazing speed. Several guards were now chasing her around on the platform. Had it not been under such dire circumstances, Celeste would have laughed. When one of them managed to grab her tail, she bit him and then leapt high up, catching hold of some branches. Still hissing at them, she fled. Celeste worried about her little friend. Hopefully they will not catch her…

Later things quieted down, after they had been put into their cells. Calaelen's was next to hers.

"So much for a warm welcome," he said.

"I'm sorry, Calaelen, I don't know what to say…"

"It's not your fault, Celeste. There must be things going on here that we don't know about. Agnus' work, no doubt. I will play along for now, but if things get further out of hand I will do what needs to be done to protect you."

Celeste felt her face warm up at his words.

"Thank you…"

Later that night she woke up from a scratching noise. It didn't take long before an orange bundle of fur popped through a slit in the wall and flew straight into her arms.

"Tawny!" she said softly, not wanting to attract the attention of the guards.

The little feline was purring as she was rubbing herself against Celeste. She was happy to see that her little friend has not come to any harm. With Tawny in her arms she eventually fell asleep again.

They were woken early next morning by the guards. The king came to speak with her. This made Celeste hopeful. Perhaps now she'd be able to get through to him…

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm Celeste, father. Don't you know your own daughter when you see her?"

"You lie. She died years ago! This is surely more trickery from Auberon's court! You even have one of his people with you!"

"He's Auberon's son, prince Calaelen. We've both been victims of the witch Agnus and put under terrible spells. She now lives in Auberon's court and she has deceived him to believe she is have to believe me!"

There was a moment when the king looked uncertain, but his face hardened again.

"You came before, claiming to be my daughter, but was revealed to be only a stranger in magical disguise. I will not risk it. The queen barely survived her heartache. I will not send her to the halls of the departed."

With that he left without heeding Celeste's pleads.

"At least now we know Agnus did have a hand in this," Calaelen whispered to her.

"Yes, but there must be some way I can convince my father that I am who I am…"

___________________

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	12. Chapter 12

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Chapter 12

It has already been 5 days since Celeste and Calaelen left Veera. Time was getting shorter and shorter, and still Celeste hadn't figured out a way to persuade her father of her identity. He had not come again the next morning like he did the first. Calaelen offered to break them free if she wished it, but she asked him not to, because it would make their chances of winning her parents over even slimmer. He looked bored, sitting inside his cell with nothing to do. At times he hummed a tune to himself or would talk to her when the guards weren't near. He even petted Tawny a bit. Celeste couldn't help but wonder how he would have managed to break them free if he wanted to. He seemed very confident about it… This made her wonder about his life. Who was he really? She never got to see the Court of Nightfall. Was it much different than the Court of Daybreak, like she and Calaelen were so different from each other?

The guards brought them something to eat and drink at least. Celeste tried asking them about speaking again with the king, but they ignored her or ordered her to keep quiet. As night was falling once again, Celeste felt very helpless. She wished she knew what she could do! She couldn't sleep at all that night. She'd been trying so hard to think of something, but nothing came to mind. She was dreadfully tired. Realising that she needed to rest, she started singing softly a lullaby her mother used to sing to her as a child. It comforted her, so she sang out loud, letting the sound of her voice be carried to wherever it may go. The night birds kept quiet. Not even the guards said a word. Her eyes soon grew heavy and she was about to drift off when the noise of several voices and footsteps woke her. She heard the door to the cells being opened.

"Your majesty!" said one of the guards, surprised and embarrassed to be found dosing off himself.

"I need to see her!" a woman's voice demanded.

"Evania, dear. This is surely just another trick," the king's voice said, "please, I do not wish you to fret about this. These intruders' true nature should soon be revealed."

"It has to be her!" exclaimed the queen,"that song…no one else knew it except my daughter. Open the gate!"

Celeste got to her feet, shaking a little with fright and also excitement. It had been years that she'd been away. The queen walked up to her, reaching a hand out towards hers. Celeste slowly took her hand. The queen let her fingers trail over it.

"I am not a witch, but I am not without any magic. I didn't see the disguise before, because I didn't look for it. Perhaps because I wanted it to be real."

Her hands trailed up Celeste's arms, her shoulders, her face. The king and guard stood nearby in case anything happened.

Finally the queen looked into Celeste's eyes. Celeste couldn't stop the tears from welling up, from seeing her mother again. She had the same sun-touched hair and unusual light hazel eyes Celeste had. Slight traces remained on her face, revealing that she had indeed been very sick. The king must have spoken truthfully. Then the queen gave a relieved sigh and pulled Celeste against her chest, embracing her.

"You've come home at last!" she cried, with tears of joy running down her cheeks.

"Evania..." said the king cautiously.

"I am sure of it, Bourne! This is our Celeste!" she said very confidently, and stood aside.

The king looked at Celeste, as if seeing her for the first time. He studied her face, as if to find any trace of deceit. Then slowly, his face transformed. It looked like years suddenly fell off it. He came closer to Celeste, touching her face.

"Oh, my daughter!" he exclaimed.

The royal family of the Court of Daybreak was united again. The news spread like wildfire. Calaelen was treated like a honoured guest. Even Tawny was spoiled with all kinds of titbits. After they both cleaned themselves up and changed into garments provided for them, Celeste and Calaelen looked like they used to, a prince and a princess. There was a lot of joy and celebration. Even the king danced and sang. Soon two more days had passed, and Celeste and Calaelen had to leave for Auberon's court. This saddened Celeste's parents, and they at first didn't want to let her go, but after explaining things to them, they understood.

"You wouldn't have believed that prince Calaelen's father didn't truly mean us harm had his son not been here with me, would you? For the same reason I have to go with him. Only when both courts can forgive, will the spell on us truly be broken."

The journey to Calaelen's father's court took them two days, as they now had horses provided by Celeste's father. Celeste couldn't help but feel her heart race when they reached the place where her carriage had been attacked. There was no trace left of what had happened that night. As if sensing her fear, Calaelen put his hand on hers, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

"I promise I will protect you with everything I have, Celeste. Please do not doubt me when I say that I am truly sorry for what has happened."

The landscape started changing, so that it became more and more cold and winter-like. The trees and bushes were shades of blue, grey, purple and last night before arriving at their destination they had set up camp under a huge Ikamo tree. These trees only grew in Auberon's realm, and were the only trees that had bright yellow leaves, reminding Celeste of the golden tree they had come across in the woods. Its bark was as white as snow. The roots stuck out of the ground, providing walls so that they wouldn't be easily seen. They made a little fire and ate some of the provisions sent with them. The night sky was clear above them and they could see millions of stars, looking like they are close enough to touch.

"What do you think will be the best way to get into your father's court?" asked Celeste.

Calaelen didn't answer immediately. He sat thinking deeply for a while, before he answered.

"My father is not a man easily persuaded, and if the _witch_ is still there it complicates things…"

"And your mother?" she asked.

Sadness lingered on his face for a moment.

"She died when I was still young," he said poking into the fire with a stick.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Celeste said, but before she could stop herself asked: "What happened?" She realised that this was very forward of her.

"I don't mean to pry. I understand if you don't want to talk about it," she said quickly.

"It is alright. You have to know sooner or later…" Calaelen said with a sigh.

* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

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Chapter 13

"My mother had been from the court of Celestial lights. My father met her when he got injured while hunting in the hidden forests once. These forests stretch from our lands to far up in the then unknown mountains on the northern border. It is called the hidden forest, because very few who entered it came back again…"

Celeste had heard of the hidden forests. It was nothing like the forest she and Calaelen had travelled in to get to Veera. Although dangerous, it was not impossible to travel through. It was a different story with the hidden forests.

"…those who did come back were never the same, like Frederald the smith. He went in after a thief stole from his father's shop and was said to have gone to hide in the forest. Frederald was gone for almost two years. His parents believed him to be lost to them. When he came back he never spoke again. And he started crafting the most beautiful items from all kinds of materials, from swords to jewelry with the most intricate designs, mostly resembling things we see in the night sky…"

Celeste knew of Frederald the smith. His wares were most sought after in both their courts. Her father once bought her a pair of shoes that he made. It was very unusual, looking delicate like it was made from light blue glass or crystal, but stronger than steel. At the same time it was amazingly comfortable. They used to be her favourite shoes and she wore them almost all the time. She had been quite sad when the day came that her feet had grown too big for them. Her father had said he would buy her another pair, but things had already started getting unstable between the two courts by then. And the shoes were eventually forgotten as she got older and other things caught her fancy.

"Anyway, to get back to my story….my father was young, and stubborn. This got him to undertake the foolish quest in the first place, to find a skydeer and capture it alive to bring it back to nightfall court, just to impress others at court…"

Skydeer only roamed in the hidden forests and in the mountains beyond, as far as Celeste knew. Once in a while traders from the court of Celestial lights would pass by with wares such as skydeer wool. She never heard much else about the court other than that it was not possible to find it without someone of the Celestial court accompanying you. Rumours said that it was invisible, and that the gates to the Celestial lands only manifested itself visibly in the presence of one with Celestial blood.

"…he found one and tracked it high up in the mountains. Then he fell. When he woke he found himself in a place very different from nightfall court. Everything, the trees, the walls, even the people's clothes glowed or glimmered. My father had believed he had died and gone to the halls of the departed," Calaelen said, smiling.

"He had been in the Celestial court?" Celeste asked with much interest. This was the first time someone could actually tell her more about it than mere rumours.

"Yes. A lady of the court saw him fall and rescued him. Her name was Caelia. She nursed him back to health and he stayed with the court for several months, learning much about them and their ways…"

"Did he fall in love with her, with Caelia?" Celeste asked.

Calaelen smiled at seeing her eager anticipation. "They did. Caelia agreed to marry my father and live with him in Nightfall court. They returned, and as expected it was a very joyous occasion for the court of Nightfall to not only have their king back, but also with bride. They married and were happy. Soon Caelia was with her first child and later gave birth to a son. It was not long after that when things changed. My mother grew more and more sad as the days went by. My father let her visit the Celestial court after learning that she was yearning for her homeland. She took her son and stayed there for several months before returning to Nightfall, just as sad as before. This made my father despair, thinking that she didn't want to be with him. The truth was that she missed her homeland, the place where everything was bright. Nightfall can be quite gloomy and cold, especially in winter. But when she was in the Celestial court, she missed my father. She pleaded with my father to leave Nightfall behind, but he couldn't. As much as the Celestial court awed him, Nightfall was and would always be his home and he had his responsibility towards the court as its king. The regular visits to the Celestial court didn't help at the end. In time my mother faded away and left for the halls of the departed."

Calaelen looked at Celeste who was sitting in shocked silence, tears in her eyes.

"I am so sorry, Calaelen…" she finally managed.

"This happened because their worlds were so different. I fear that the same fate may befall us, Celeste. You come from a world where the sun never sleeps, and your winters are merely clouded days with rain-showers. Nightfall is very much like it name signifies, a place of night. In winter we sometimes have storms that are nothing like you've ever seen in the court of Daybreak."

"I understand your fear, Caelen, but you forget that I've been living in the human world for several years. A place where there is both day and night. Both sunny days and heavy storms. Where there is no sure way to tell what the next day will be like. I will confess that I did not always like it when there were days and days of rainy weather, but this never made me feel like I didn't want to live there. I have also learned from…my human parents that…love is not about where you live, but about handling whatever life may throw at you together."

Celeste felt her cheeks warm as she mentioned love. She had been thinking lately that Calaelen had not once declared his love for her. He seemed to care for her greatly and regretted wanting to kill her before, but did it go deeper than that?

They ate in silence and later settled down to sleep. Caelen seemed to be in deep thought. Celeste wished she knew what he was thinking. She looked at the stars above them for a long while, wondering what it would be like to not see the sun at all for months. It certainly would be…different. Eventually she fell into a dreamless sleep.

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	14. Chapter 14

Hi there! I know I took forever... hope you enjoy this chappie! :)

Chapter 14

If it was early morning when Celeste woke. The sky was now overcast, casting the landscape in shades of grey. Tawny was still lying on her back, whiskers and hands twitching as she dreamt. She gently stroked the little feline. She had asked her father if he knew what kind of animal she was, but he had not seen anything like it. Calaelen said that there is a woman who knows a lot about animals and herb lore at his father's court. Perhaps she will know something. Tawny yawned and stretched, but kept lying on her back while Celeste stroked her and then tickled her tummy. It was not nails that playfully dug into Celeste's hand, like the cat on the farm used to do, but soft yet firm hands holding on to hers while the back legs pushed it away. They looked like a little monkey's, but the back legs were definitely a cat's. The body too. The eyes were too big for a cat, and was an unusual luminous green. Her ears were catlike too, except for it being a bit longer and pointed. Her fur had orange-brown patterns on it, similar to a ginger cat.

Celeste didn't get much longer to examine Tawny, as she now decided it was time for breakfast and was heading for the provisions bag. Luckily Calaelen was awake too and sitting nearby. He quickly snatched it up, and then took out a piece of fruit and handed it to Tawny, who was trying to climb his arm to get to the bag. Celeste smiled as she watched the two of them. Calaelen was playfully rebuking the feline and Tawny was saying things back in her way before she settled down and ate her fruit. They had come a long way since they traveled in the forest. She wouldn't be surprised if he now also had a soft spot for the naughty critter.

She also noticed that Calaelen was relaxed, all signs of worry momentarily gone from his face as he playfully touched Tawny's tail with the tip of his boot. Tawny hissed in an annoyed manner and moved away a bit, still munching. She couldn't help but laugh. Her stomach flutted when he looked at her, his smiling face changing into a more calculating one.

"Good morning."

"Morning," she said quickly, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Did you rest well?"

"Yes, thank you…" Celeste was wondering why they were being so formal? Was he looking slightly nervous?

"We are about to enter my father's lands. I will take you to a place that belongs to a man I know well. I ask you to stay there until I come for you."

"Why? I didn't come all the way to let you face what awaits alone," Celeste protested. Was he now trying to get away from her? Did he dislike her that much?

"I know the court and its people. They do not take kindly to strangers, especially ones from Daybreak court in the current circumstances. It would be easier and safer this way."

Celeste didn't like the idea. What if he never came back? Would she be able to find her way home? Surely he wouldn't? Did her words last night not mean anything to him?

"But Calaelen…"

"Celeste!" he said suddenly holding on to her shoulders so she had to face him. She saw his face soften.

"I love you too much to see anything happen to you. I've loved you since the day you saved me from the trap and I realised who you were. Travelling together, facing the challenges and hearing the stories you had to tell only endeared you even more to me… I need you to do as I ask. Please, promise me you'll do so."

Celeste was so overcome by his sudden declaration that she could not speak, so she nodded instead.

"Good," he said with a relieved sigh.

As they neared the court of Nightfall the sky gradually darkened. The plants and trees changed too. They somehow looked dead and alive at the same time. They passed some folks of the court who looked like merchants. Wearing hoods they were not recognised. It was quite cold here too. Good thing Tawny liked to hang around her shoulders when they walked.

Finally they came to the top of a hill and the Court of Nightfall was revealed in all its glory where it stood under a starry sky. The royal palace looked like it was build from glowing ice. It had spiralling towers like she'd read about in some fairy tales when she still lived on the farm. Later she learnt that the walls had intricate patterns all over them, and that it was these patterns that actually glowed, since it had crystal dust, brought here from the Celestial court, embedded in them. The houses that surrounded it had traces of it as well. It was beautiful. Calaelen didn't say anything as they walked on, but she could see that he was happy to be home again. Crystal dust had been sprinkled on the trees inside the court as well. She couldn't help but touch the wall of a house they passed. A little bit of dust came off and made her finger glow. She dabbed it playfully on Tawny, who then immediately tried to lick it off her fur, making it spread more and more. Eventually she left it, ending up with a glowing back and tail. It turned out it was quite the thing to do, as many pets and even some of the folks here had crystal dust on them.

After buying some supplies they left. Caelen took Celeste to a small cottage not far from the court, where an old man called Olaf and his daugher lived. He was now retired from being the stable master of the royal court. After giving Celeste a goodbye kiss, he set off to find his father.

Celeste kept herself busy with whatever she could find to do at the cottage. She cleaned, cooked, and even mended some of the old man's socks. Olaf became very fond of her and this made his daughter, who wasn't nearly as diligent as her, jealous. After 3 days news spread that the king's councillor has been exposed for being a witch, and that the king has ordered her immediate execution as well as a large reward to whomever kills her, since she had escaped. Celeste was happy to hear this, as this meant that Calaelen got his father to believe him. The thought of seeing him again soon made her blush. She still remember the way he looked into her eyes when he kissed her goodbye.

To her dissapointment Calaelen didn't come that day, or the next. She became worried, as there was only 1 day left to break the spell. What Celeste didn't know was that Agnus had put a spell on the palace, so that no one could leave it. She also was not aware of a certain jealous girl meeting with the wicked witch, and that she told her where to find Celeste…

Done! Any thoughts? Reviews are welcome!


	15. Chapter 15

Hi there, this is the final chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 15

The witch transformed herself to look like an insignificant old woman and went to the cottage. The old man, Olaf, had gone out. Celeste was sweeping the porch when the old woman arrived. She asked Celeste if Olaf was there, and she replied that he had gone out. The woman asked about Celeste, and how long she was going to live with Olaf and his daughter. Not wanting to say too much she just said for a few days. The old woman, who called herself Franny, then gave Celeste a basket full of freshly baked muffins and said that it was a gift for her, the old man and his daughter, and that she would come by again later that day to see if she could find Olaf home. Celeste wondered how the woman knew about her visit. Perhaps Olaf mentioned it to someone? Or perhaps Tania? She didn't look like the kind of girl who would spend time talking to old ladies, perhaps over a cup of tea? Celeste couldn't help but laughed. This girl didn't like her at all, she knew that much from the way she would glare at her when her father couldn't see.

Celeste put the basket on the kitchen table, and then finished sweeping the porch. It didn't take long for the delicious smell to reach her and it made her very hungry. She could smell the sweetness of honey and a slight hint of orange. Olaf still had not come home, and there still was no sign of his daughter, Tania, who had left soon after him. This was unusual, because she usually slept in until late. Celeste decided to have one for lunch. Just as she was about to take a bite, a little treesprite ran in from the kitchen door shouting: "No! No! Do not eat! It is poisoned by the witch!"

Celeste was so shocked that she dropped the muffin on the floor. As it broke, it sizzled, letting a small puff of purple smoke escape.

"Oh my!" Celeste exclaimed,"you were right! Thank you for warning me!"

"Veera asked me to come. Now my work is done," it said, turning as if wanting to leave.

"Wait! Could you at least tell me where she is?"

"Far, near, what difference does it make?" answered the treesprite,"she cannot come where her sister is. She asked me to give you this dagger. With it you could kill Agnus."

The treesprite disappeared.

Celeste looked at the dagger in her hand. It had a magical gleam to it. How was she going to kill the witch?

Later the witch went back to the cottage to see if her plan worked. She almost lept for joy when she looked into the kitchen and saw Celeste lying dead on the floor with a half-eaten muffin. She gave a shriek of laughter.

"I'll have my revenge after all! With you truly dead war between the courts will never end! They will be at each other's throats until there is no breath left. Stupid, foolish Auberon…he should have chosen me! ME! Instead he went and married that slut Caelia! How I abhor her! And her son! I should have finished him myself instead of hoping the deadly marshes would do it for me! Calaelen thinks he could best my magic! Hah! They are all stuck in the palace until I let them out, and now the little princess is dead!"

She laughed a terrible laugh, as she kneeled down next to Celeste. Celeste's heart was beating so fast she was sure the witch would hear it, but somehow she didn't.

"And my dear sister Veera, thinking she can meddle in my plans. I think I'll have to pay her a visit."

"This is it!" thought Celeste, quickly plunging the dagger she had been hiding under her skirt into the witch's chest.

Agnus stared at Celeste with horror.

"You…were dead…you tricked me!" she yelled pointing her finger at Celeste's face. Then she gasped, clutching her chest. The blade seem to burn her. There was smoke coming off it. The witch tried touching it to pull it out, but couldn't. Celeste crawled away as far as she could from the witch. She was still yelling something angrily at Celeste, but her words no longer made sense. The witch's whole body were now smoking and then with one small puff she was gone. The dagger dropped to the floor. It didn't gleam with magical light any more.

It started raining outside. Celeste threw away the basket which were now empty since the rest of the muffins disappeared, and then stood watching the rain from the kitchen door.

"Calaelen, where are you?" she wondered. Something felt different.

Then something extraordinary happened. The clouds parted and some rays of light broke through, painting a beautiful rainbow in the sky. Has the eternal darkness of the court of Nightfall been a curse as well? Celeste wondered. The rain stopped. Celeste could now see that it was not the sun, but the moon's rays she had seen earlier. This was the first moon rainbow she ever saw.

Celeste heard a horse coming. It was Calaelen, wearing armour and he had a sword. For a moment Celeste was frightened, remembering her dream, where she had to flee for her life…

"Celeste!" cried Calaelen. He quickly dismounted. As he was running towards her the world suddenly started fading. What was happening? Celeste wondered. She looked at Calaelen, reaching towards her, and she called his name, but then everything went black.

Celeste woke up as her mom called her to help her get ready to go to the market. She sat up confused. Where was she? Then she recognised the old small room she had at the farm. Was it all a dream?" She quickly looked under her pillow and found the purple flower there, now flatter than before of course. She felt very disappointed. How could this be? Finally she meets the man of her dreams, only to realise that it is all he will ever be? She wiped away the tears before going to the kitchen to help her mom. It all felt so real to her. Was this just a nasty trick the old lady played on her? She angrily tossed the purple flower in the rubbish bin. Her mother couldn't understand what was wrong with her, but what could she tell her? That she had a wonderful dream? So wonderful that she didn't want to come back to the real world? Celeste sighed, and started cleaning the dishes they used that morning before mother left for the market. She had checked in the mirror. No pointy ears or anything suggesting she wasn't human. The big pumkin that just seemed to have popped up over night was still there this morning. It was quite heavy too.

Celeste heard a sound. She looked behind the cupboard, and out came a shrieking mouse with Tawny hot on it's heels. Celeste felt so happy she cried.

"Tawny!"

She picked her up and gave her a tight squeeze as if she never wanted to let go. Tawny seemed to be right at home, just annoyed with Celeste for keeping her from catching her prey.

So it wasn't a dream after all! Celeste wondered how she would get back, then she felt ashamed. Her human mother needed her… What should she do? Her real father and mother surely would have an answer?

She went to the place where she picked mushrooms when she met Veera, hoping to discover something. Anything. There was no one. Nothing out of place. She sat down with a sigh. Tawny explored the area excitedly, almost falling into the brook.

"Guess there is no hope of getting back now, hey?" she said more to herself than to Tawny. It was already dusk when they finally went back to the farm. As Celeste was about to leave the forest behind, she heard something sounding like a horse neighing. Could it be?

"Calaelen!" she called out, running back towards where she had heard the sound come from. Then she saw a black horse standing under a tree.

"Calaelen?" she asked, walking closer. She noticed that this horse wasn't him. It was an ordinary black horse, probably one of the neighbour's horses that got loose again. It snorted, then ate some of the nearby grass.

"I am surely going to go mad at this rate," Celeste said with a disappointed sigh and turned to leave.

"Leaving already?" a familiar voice asked. There was Calaelen, leaning against a nearby tree, his arms folded over his chest and a mischievous smile on his face. His long black hair hung loose on his shoulders and had long plaits hanging behind each pointed ear. On his forehead glimmered a golden circlet of intricate design, looking like a vine with little leaves sprouting from it. Here and there it was shaped into a little flower with a deep red gem set in it, reminding Celeste of the red eyes he had in horse form. His clothes reflected his royal status in the fairy court, but curiously everything he wore was black. From his shirt to his boots. It had trimmings of gold, even the boots had a similar vine pattern than the circlet, very finely engraved in gold, but no gems were set in them. Around his neck was his amulet, the other half of the one Celeste had, the token between them that they were destined to be together forever.

"I tought I had lost you,"Celeste said with a tear running down her cheek. Calaelen wiped it.

"Never, my love. Now come, there is much to be told and to be done…"

"Wait, there is something I have to do here before we go…"

Celeste's human mother was very relieved to see her. She had been worried, since it was already dark. She was also very surprised to see a beautiful young man with her. Celeste explained to her what had happened, and invited her to return to the fairy realm with them, but she declined the offer, saying that she loves the farm because it made her feel close to her husband. She made Celeste promise to come to visit from time to time.

It was not many days before Calaelen and Celeste married, and peace ruled between the two courts. The nights at the court of Nightfall was less gloomy. Most nights were clear, allowing plenty of star and moonlight to light up the lands.

Although they tried to find the Veera's cottage in the woods to thank her, they never found it. It seemed to have simply vanished. Celeste hoped in her heart that she somehow knew how much they appreciated her help. When she later had a daughter, she called her Vee, in remembrance of her.

Celeste did go back to the human world to visit her human mother. She gave her enough precious gems, gold and silver so that she never had to work again. She could pay others to do the work on the farm for her, and she had a peaceful life, doing all the things she enjoyed but seldom had time for.

The end.

Hope you enjoyed this story! Let me know what you thought. Review! :)


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